Reclaimed By My Alpha (Natalia and Andrei) novel Chapter 396

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The climb up the mountain was brutal. I had thought that the forest had been cold, but it was nothing compared to this. The wind tore at my skin like knives, howling through the narrow passes and carrying flurries of snow that stung my eyes. The wolf I was tied to struggled to cross patches of ice hidden beneath fresh powder.

Every time we hit a particularly steep incline, I was certain we were going to fall. But somehow, we never did.

The man pulling the sled with the twins cursed constantly under his breath, yanking the rope when the sled caught on rocks or snowdrifts. I kept my eyes on Max and Jane as much as I could, watching for any sign that they were waking up, but they stayed motionless. Well, at least they weren’t awake for this nightmare.

My fingers had gone numb an hour ago, maybe longer. I couldn’t feel my toes anymore, either. The blanket draped over my back helped, but not enough. The cold seeped through everything, settling deep in my bones.

“How much further?” I managed to ask through the shivering.

The man didn’t answer–just kept trudging forward with his head down.

We rounded another bend, and the path narrowed to barely wider than the wolf’s body. On one side was the sheer face of the mountain. On the other was a drop into nothing–just darkness and the distant sound of wind whistling through the valley far below.

The wolf’s paw slipped suddenly, and I gasped as we tilted sideways, the ropes digging into my ribs and belly as my weight shifted. For a horrible moment, I thought we were going over the edge. But the wolf caught itself, pressing against the mountain wall, and kept moving.

My heart hammered in my chest. If we fell from this height, we would all die. And Andrei would never know what happened to us. He’d search the mountains forever, finding nothing.

“Just a little further,” the man finally called back. I never thought I might say this, but I was almost looking forward to reaching our destination.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the path leveled out, and I lifted my head, squinting against the snow. There, carved into the mountainside, was a massive structure.

I blinked, certain I was hallucinating from the cold. But no–it was real. A palace, built directly into the rock, with tall spires and arched windows that glowed with warm light. It looked ancient, like something out of a history book, all stone and iron and intricate carvings.

“Welcome home,” the man said, glancing back at me with that same unsettling grin.

Guards appeared as we approached the entrance–a set of enormous wooden doors reinforced with iron. They nodded at the man pulling the sled, then stepped aside to let us pass.

The doors swung open, and warmth hit me. I nearly sobbed with relief as we entered the palace. The wolf I was tied to padded forward, and I caught glimpses of the interior as we moved through corridors. Stone walls covered in tapestries. Polished floors. Torches burning in sconces. It was nothing like the rogue camps I’d seen before. This place was opulent, well–maintained, and most of all… civilized.

What kind of rogue king lived in a palace?

Eventually, we stopped in what looked like a sitting room. A fire crackled in an enormous hearth, and the furniture was ornate and plush. The man finally untied me from the wolf’s back, and I nearly collapsed when my feet hit the ground. My legs had gone stiff from being in the same position for so long. I rubbed my belly, hoping

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the baby wouldn’t be harmed from that trek.

“Wait here,” the man said, hauling the sled with the twins into the room. He laid them both on a long couch near the fire, and I rushed over. Surprisingly, he didn’t stop me from adjusting their blankets and checking on them.” The King will want to see you soon. In the meantime, warm up. There’s food and clean clothes.”

He gestured to a side table laden with bread, cheese, and what looked like roasted meat. A pile of folded clothing sat on a chair nearby–thick wool and fur.

Then he left, closing the door behind him.

I knelt there for a moment, almost wondering if I was dreaming all of this. Max and Jane were still sleeping. I pressed my hand to Max’s forehead, then Jane’s. They were warm enough, thank the Goddess. Whatever their wolves were doing to protect them, it was working.

I tried reaching for my own wolf, but she was still too weak to respond properly. Whatever that ruby had done to us in Bloodmoon, the effects hadn’t worn off yet.

My gaze drifted to the food then. My stomach cramped with hunger, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch it. The Winter King’s hospitality felt wrong, like accepting it would mean accepting my captivity.

Instead, I moved to the door and tried the handle.

Locked.

Of course.

I pressed my ear against the wood, listening. I could hear multiple sets of footsteps outside and voices. Guards were most definitely stationed in the hallway. Even if I could somehow break through the door, I’d never make it past them. Not in my current state, weakened and unarmed.

I turned back to survey the room, looking for another way out. The windows were too narrow and too high up- probably a fifty–foot drop to the courtyard below even if I could fit through them. No other doors. No weapons within reach except maybe a fire poker, but that wouldn’t do much good against armed guards, especially if any of them had rubies.

I was trapped. Completely and utterly trapped.

Sighing, I moved to the chair near the fire and sank into it, my legs finally giving out. The warmth from the flames was almost painful against my frozen skin, but I stayed there anyway, watching the twins sleep on the couch as my mind raced to come up with an escape plan.

But every option I considered led to the same conclusion: I couldn’t carry both twins, and I refused to leave them behind. And even if I could somehow sneak past the guards with the twins, where would we go? We were in the middle of a mountain fortress in the dead of winter. We’d all freeze to death before making it halfway down.

Our best chance was to wait for Andrei. He probably already knew we were missing and was gathering his forces to come for us. He had to figure out that we were here–where else would we be?

I had to hold onto that hope, even if it felt impossible. Had to hold onto the thought that Andrei could burst in here at any moment.

Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. I couldn’t tell anymore. No one came.

I must have dozed off at some point because the sound of the door opening jolted me awake.

I was on my feet immediately, positioning myself between the door and the twins, grabbing that fire poker even

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though I knew it wouldn’t help.

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A guard stood in the doorway–a different one from before. His expression was impassive as he looked at me.

“The King will see you now,” he said.

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